


Defying Fate

by literatelamb



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Love Triangles, Platonic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:02:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28530384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literatelamb/pseuds/literatelamb
Summary: Ever since young, children had always been fed with the fantasy that they were destined for one person, and one person only. The fantasy that the mark they were born with would lead them to prince charming, or a fair maiden, ending with a happily ever after.You were once that child. Unfortunately, you never had a soulmark.This is a love story told through the lens of three different individuals.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, Steve Rogers/Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 24





	Defying Fate

Ever since young, children had always been fed with the fantasy that they were destined for one person, and one person  _ only _ . The fantasy that the mark they were born with would lead them to prince charming, or a fair maiden, ending with a happily ever after.

These were known as “ _ soulmarks _ ” to the people, and they’ve been in existence since the start of time. Since Adam and Eve came to creation. Since Marc and Cleo flaunted their affair. Since Johnny laid eyes on June.

They were unique to each couple; always an image or scribblings etched on the surface of either arm, waiting to be discovered by the other half.

Through the ages, these soulmarks were responsible for the cause of beneficial unions  _ and _ , accountable for the start of wars. Legends say it wasn’t Helen’s beauty that caused the loss of Troy.

Children would daydream, imagining the fated day they would meet their “ _ soulmate _ ”. Teens would discuss with friends about their soulmarks, always on the lookout for a matching half. And they were right to do so, as people started meeting their other half as soon as they hit puberty.

You were once that child, but you were never that teenager. For you never had a soulmark.

—

Being bare, or being a “blank” as they called it, wasn’t filled with a lot of happy memories. You remember crying at the age of six after a group of girls made fun of you for not having a soulmark. You cried your way home, remembering the hold your mother had you in that day as she consoled you.

See, your parents were  _ soulmates _ . They had the kind of love that you’ve always dreamed of having, and everyone else envied. Theirs was a love so eternal, that Cupid would weep.

You longed for a love like theirs, but no matter how much you wished, you knew it was a wish for the impossible. 

A “blank” wasn’t a common occurrence in your world, but they were never unheard of. It was the cause of torment you endured over the years. The stares, the whispers, the snickers behind lockers. You’ve learned to tune it out, yet it didn’t make it any less hurtful. 

People have no idea why we have soulmarks the way we do. For centuries, scientists and philosophers have tried to theorize the existence of soulmarks. Yet, we never made it anywhere closer to the truth. 

A “blank” could mean, and be anything. It could mean that in a part of the universe, you were always destined for someone, but their time was up before you could ever meet. Or perhaps, they were soulmates with someone else, before time would take that away, giving rise to a newer  _ fresh _ soulmark. Or perhaps,  —and this was painful to admit— you were  _ never _ destined to be with anyone.

* * *

**James Buchanan Barnes**

James “Bucky” Barnes had a good life, or what he considered a good life. 

Hailing from Brooklyn, he was the epitome of a good son and brother. Protective of his sister since he first laid eyes on her. He had a best friend, (even though with how sickly he was) who always had his back. He had everything he wanted, and yet not everything was his.

You see, Bucky Barnes was the possessor of a soulmark. A mark that looped on his arms, staining inky black against the tan of his skin. A mark that he was proud to have, for it meant he was destined to meet “the one”. A mark that, unfortunately, to the dismay of many, broke hearts.

He was what the girls would call a “charmer” and what the boys would call a “player”. You would have thought that the idea of bearing a soulmark would make a person wait for “the one”. Yet, this never stopped Bucky from what he believes is living his best life.

Women loved him, and he loved women. As simple as that.

He imagined the moment he has met his “destined”, everything else will fall into place and no other person will matter.

—

George and Winnifred Barnes, in Bucky’s eyes, were the picture perfect example of soulmates. Since a young age, he always admired the relationship that his parents had.

They complemented each other. In a lot of ways that Bucky hoped he and his soulmate would have.

His mother was the extrovert, loud and full of fire. In which if you stoked it, you could burn. But never towards his father. His father was the mediator. Calm and collected, he could tame even the most raging of flames. 

He and his younger sister, Rebecca, were always up to mischief growing up. Whenever something was broken or the sound of a crash rang, they always ended up on the end of their mother’s scolding. But his father always managed to calm her down, with his soothing ways.

Whenever his father was down, his mother would know what to do or what words to say. He wouldn’t stew for long, he would bounce right back after. It was the same for his mother, vice versa.

They were made for each other.

But why were they quarrelling in the living room when he got home for the Summer? Why were words like “divorce” and “other woman” thrown into the air? Why was his father shouting, stoking the burning rage of his mother?

Bucky felt his world shatter.

* * *

**Steven Grant Rogers**

Steven Grant Rogers was born a sickly child. 

When he was brought into the world, the doctors assumed he wouldn’t make it. But his parents never stopped believing. With their love and effort, he made it through, and would continue to do so throughout adulthood.

Steve Rogers was a blank. Always has been since birth, but maybe not for the rest of his life. It didn’t bother him. He believed he was in-charge of his own happiness.

Unlike Bucky, Steve didn’t have the best prospects with girls. Being 5’3 and 95 pounds back in high school didn’t help, especially with Bucky Barnes as a best friend. 

He remembered his prom all too well; ditched by his date at the end of the night. He didn’t take it hard, knowing it was just an arrangement. An arrangement for the both of them to not appear lonely on a night that some deemed “the best night of their lives”.

Nevertheless, prom night did become a memorable memory. He and Bucky ended up driving all night, blasting Wham!’s  _ Last Christmas _ in the middle of April, and watching the sunrise with a view of the Brooklyn bridge. 

Bucky didn’t leave his side all night, and for the years after.

He was eternally grateful.

—

Being a blank never bothered Steven Rogers. His peers used to tease and bully him for it, but he never cared. He believed happiness wasn’t restricted to the possession of soulmarks. 

However, he couldn’t deny the pang he sometimes felt when he witnessed the meeting of soulmates while passing through life. It had become a weekly occurrence; strangers realizing they’re soulmates, and people cheering them on in the background. Just last week, a couple met when they were both rushing to a lecture. To say the hall was noisy was an understatement.

Sometimes he wished people would look past soulmarks. Past his height that only gained a few inches over the years. Past his blank slate that they deemed a defect. 

Thinking of his parents, Steve Rogers had always thought they were soulmates from the start. Their marks fit each other’s, like pieces to a puzzle. Imagine his surprise when that  _ wasn’t _ the case.

Sarah was born a blank. Like everyone else with the same “fate”, she always thought having a soulmate wasn’t a part of her life's plans. Imagine her surprise when a mark —five small stars scattered on her inner wrist— appeared one day.

A few months passed before she would meet Joseph Rogers during one of his physiotherapy appointments. She was the nurse that wheeled him in.

Steve’s father was born with a soulmark. He lived the first 30 years with one, met his other half, and got married.

It wasn’t until one day, he was involved in an accident. It took the life of his soulmate, leaving Joseph blank. Supposedly. 

What baffled him was the appearance of a soulmark immediately after the accident. A new,  _ fresh _ mark. Five stars scattered across his bicep. On the arm that was affected by the accident. The  _ same _ arm he was getting treatment for.

As for his old soulmark, it blurred, then faded, before disappearing completely. No trace or evidence of its existence was left.

For a long time, Joseph saw the mark as a form of mocking. From God or another higher being, he will never know. After ruminating for a long time, at the same time getting to know Sarah from his numerous hospital visits, he finally relented and moved on. And the rest was history.

His parents’ experience showed that humans weren’t getting any closer to understanding the soulmark phenomenon. When we think we’ve got it, something new would pop-up, throwing us off course for another millennia.

And that kept Steve Rogers a hopeful man.

**Author's Note:**

> I had the terrible idea of writing three fics at the same time hahahdghg  
> let me know if you’re interested in more!
> 
> literate-lamb @ tumblr


End file.
